A vertically opening section switch comprises, in particular, a pivoting blade which is electrically connected at one end to a first connector disposed at the top of a first insulating column, the second end of said blade carrying a hammer that co-operates with a jaw which is electrically connected to a second connector disposed at the top of a second insulating column.
Such a section switch has little or no circuit-breaking ability.
An object of the present invention is to define a section switch having genuine circuit-breaking ability, for example making it possible to perform about 100 opening operations at 450 kV and 1600 A or a few operations at 730 kV and 2600 A without destroying the main contacts (jaw and blade).
U.S. Pat. No. 2 897 323 describes a section switch and circuit breaker assembly in which the section switch comprises an arcing horn including a rod that co-operates with a small wheel. That apparatus cannot operate when placed in weather conditions that are humid and cold since the wheel and the rods become covered in ice. The relative motion of the wheel and of the ice cannot ensure that the ice is broken since the mechanism operates in compression. It should be observed that breaking ice in compression requires considerable force.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a high tension section switch capable of operating under severe weather conditions.
Most high tension section switches suffer from the drawback of possessing arcing horns that radiate electromagnetically, thereby generating radiofrequency emissions that may interfere with normal radio transmissions.
Another object of the invention is to provide a section switch that does not generate radio interference.
Another object of the invention is to provide a section switch that is cheap in structure.